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Climate change is already having an impact around the globe, and the signs of it are only likely to become more prominent, the IPCC report said. Cullen used sea level rise as an example of those impacts. In particular, she pointed to flood damage that Sandy brought to New York and New Jersey.

"You look at New Jersey, for example, an additional 25 square miles were flooded. That's about 40,000 people that were impacted who wouldn't have been," she said.

While the new IPCC report recommends a host of methods to adapt to sea level rise and other climate change impacts, most scientists say that reducing greenhouse gas emissions will ultimately be needed to mitigate the worst impacts. Cullen mentioned increasing investment in renewable energy as one route to get there.

"The IPCC report made clear that now is the time to act," she said.

Cullen was joined on the segment by New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman.